Capable Quote by Steven Pinker
“The indispensability of reason does not imply that individual people are always rational or are unswayed by passion and illusion. It only means that people are capable of reason, and that a community of people who choose to perfect this faculty and to exercise it openly and fairly can collectively reason their way to sounder conclusions in the long run. As Lincoln observed, you can fool all of the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker, 2011
Reason is a collective tool, not a guarantee of individual rationality; societies that nurture open, fair reasoning can reach better conclusions over time.
In simple terms: Reason works best in groups, not always in individuals.
Key Takeaway
Foster open, fair discourse.
Themes
reasoning
collective intelligence
human nature
philosophy
societal progress
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
optimistic
Type
philosophical
inspirational
educational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- education reform
- community decision making
- media analysis
Key Concepts
rationality
bias
deliberation
public discourse
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure open reasoning in polarized environments?
- What structures protect collective reasoning from bias?
A Different Perspective
Individual irrationality can still dominate outcomes if not mitigated.
![“[The Community's] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it is always upon nothingness that God is pleased to rear His works. If at any day we accomplish some good here, the glory will certainly be His alone, since…” quote by Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b8/theodore-guerin-54729_accomplish_the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give_7176.jpg)
